1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a television camera having a lens actuating device.
2. Description of Prior Art:
Recently, the zooming operation and focusing operation of a television camera lens have been performed by a servo control system, a push-pull control system and a flexible shaft control system which are required to enable wide variation in the applications of the lens.
The present invention relates particularly to a connection device for the flexible shaft in the flexible shaft control system.
Conventionally, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the flexible shaft connection device is formed with a structure such that a cylindrical member 3 for attachment of a cover 2 for a flexible shaft 4 for driving the focusing shaft (not shown) is fixed to and projects from the lower side of a lens holding member 1, with a connection shaft 5 for connection with the flexible shaft 4 being rotatably mounted in the cylindrical member 3 by means of bearings 6, 6, and with a driving shaft 7 which is associated with the focus shaft of the lens being mounted in the lens holding member 1 by means of bearings 8, 8 in a direction transverse the connection shaft 5 so as to be linked with the shaft 5 by means of helical gears 9 and 10.
This conventional structure is disadvantageous in that because the connection shaft 5 projects downwardly from the lower side of the lens holding member, the cover 2 is sharply bent at the connection base 2a as shown in FIG. 3, so that the flexible shaft 4 contained therein is prohibited from smooth operation. Further, when the television camera is placed on a flat surface such as a table, the camera is unstable and the cover attachment 3 and the connection shaft 5 are often damaged.
In FIG. 3, a cover 200 for a flexible shaft for zoom operation is shown attached on the lower side of the lens holding member by means of a cover attachment 300. Therefore, it will be seen that the mechanism for zoom operation involves similar disadvantages as those arising in the mechanism for focusing operation.
Attempts have been made to enable the cover attachment 3 and the connection shaft 5 to project obliquely from the lens holding member 1, but such attempts have been unsuccessful because it is difficult to effect attachment and removal of the cover 2 and the flexible shaft 4. It was found, with prior art devices, that when the cover attachment 3 and the connection shaft 5 are not projected perpendicularly, the flexible shaft 4 cannot be smoothly operated because the attaching position and angle of the cover attachment 3 and the connecting shaft 5 are fixedly mounted in their axial direction.